It Can Happen to Anyone
by Hogan 51
Summary: A house fire call takes an unexpected turn when Marco becomes extremely ill while on the scene. COMPLETE!
1. 1

_Author's Note: This story was posted before but in a much shorter and different version. I rewrote it into a multiple chapter story and changed a lot of things based on the recommendations of some reviewers who kindly suggested that I work more on it and put more into it. I thank those reviewers very much for their advice as it was greatly appreciated and very helpful. Despite the fact that I did change the majority of the story, I did decide to keep its original title._

_Disclaimer: Emergency! belongs to someone else. No profit was made in the writing of this story._

**It Can Happen to Anyone**

**1**

Marco Lopez tossed and turned in his bunk, trying desperately to fall back to sleep after he and the engine crew had come back from a garbage bin fire. Marco knew that it wasn't the call itself that was keeping him awake - in fact the fire wasn't that serious and they were only gone for fifteen minutes.

The trouble, Marco knew, was due to the way he was feeling since an hour after lunch. He was nauseous and his head throbbed, causing him to feel a little dizzy.

Finally realizing that sleep was impossible, Marco got up and walked quietly to the washroom. He walked to the sink and turned it on, dabbing the cold water onto his face.

Turning around, he sat down on the bench in front of his locker and rested his head in his hands, releasing a deep sigh of frustration. He knew it couldn't possibly be what he had for lunch that was causing him to feel ill, after all he only had a simple sandwich because he didn't feel like having stew, which was what Chet was making.

"You okay, Marco?" came a deep voice from the door. Looking up, Marco saw that it was Captain Stanley.

"Oh hi, Cap," Marco greeted. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just having some trouble sleeping tonight."

Cap sat down next to the man and nodded in understanding. "I know the feeling - the same thing always happens to me after we get woken in the middle of the night for a call, only to find it's a short call, one that doesn't really tire us out and this last call didn't really tire any of us out - or at least it didn't tire me and you out," he joked.

Marco smiled and gave a slight chuckle. "Yeah, that's probably it." He knew he probably should say something to his captain about the way he was feeling, but he also knew that at the moment, other than being a little annoyed with the way he was feeling, it wasn't anything really serious enough to warrant the captain or the stations two paramedic's concern.

Cap patted the man on the shoulder and nodded as he stood up. "Well try to catch whatever sleep you can, Marco," he ordered. "Never know when we're going to get a big call …." he began to say when he was suddenly interrupted by the loud sounds of the klaxons going off throughout the station.

"Never mind…" Cap mumbled as he listened for who the call was for and shaking his head when he heard "_Station 51_."

"Station 51, respond to house fire with injuries," the dispatcher announced.

Cap, Marco, and the rest of the crew rushed out to the truck bay to their respective vehicles as the dispatcher repeated the address. Writing it down twice and giving one copy to Roy, Cap hurried over to the engine and climbed inside.

The sound of blaring sirens could be heard throughout the night as the two trucks pulled out and raced down the almost deserted nighttime street.

In the back of the engine, Marco rested his head and closed his eyes, slightly clutching his aching stomach as he began to feel even more nauseous than he had before. He opened his eyes and swallowed, praying that he would be able to hold out until this call was over and they were back at the station.


	2. 2

_Author's Note: I would like to give a huge thanks to all of those who have reviewed on the first chapter of this story. I am so happy that you are all enjoying it so much and I hope this second chapter doesn't disappoint.  
_

**It Can Happen to Anyone**

**2**

Pulling up to the scene, the fire fighters saw a two-story house completely engulfed in flames. On the top story window, however they saw something else - a little girl with blonde hair yelling for help in between coughs.

"Please!" A woman shouted as she ran up to Captain Stanley. "Amelia, my daughter. She's still up there. You have to get her down!"

Captain Stanley tried to calm the hysterical mother down as Roy and Johnny got their gear on while Chet and Marco grabbed the ladder, running toward the burning house.

"Ma'am, my men will do everything they can to get your little girl down," Cap assured the mother. "But you have to remain calm. Now, is your daughter the only one left in the house?"

The mother took a few deep breaths as she wiped her eyes and nodded. "Yes," she answered. "It may sound silly, but she ran back up there after Carmen, her teddy-bear." Shaking her head, she continued. "She's only six years old. Little things like that are important to a child her age," she explained.

Cap motioned for a nearby police officer to come and stay with the mother. "Ma'am, I want you to stay with this gentlemen until we have your daughter out of the house." When he saw that the woman was about to protest, he continued softly. "It won't help your daughter any if you too are in harm's way."

After seeing that the mother was calming down, Cap turned and approached his two paramedics before they approached the scorching house. "According to the mother the child is the only one left inside, so it shouldn't be too hard to get her down through the window," he instructed.

"Got it, Cap," the two men echoed as they rushed toward the home where Chet and Marco were now set up with the ladder.

"She's right by the window, so it shouldn't be too long to get her down," assured Roy to Chet before he and Johnny began their careful climb up the ladder.

As the two paramedics marched up the ladder after the little six year old, Marco silently struggled with his stomach which was becoming even more nauseous. The ache was going from a dull, annoying ache to one that was starting to become severe, letting its presence being known to the fire fighter.

"You alright?" Chet asked, seeing the distress look on his friend's face. He had seen Marco clutch his stomach and wear a pained expression on his face while in the truck on the way there. Knowing that the fire had to come first, Chet decided not to say anything. But now, Chet noticed that the pained expression seemed to be worse, one that couldn't go without question.

Marco swallowed, not sure of what he should answer. He knew that their only priority right now should be getting the little girl out of the house, followed by putting the fire out. But with the way he was feeling becoming worse, he wasn't sure he could hold out much longer.

"Marco?" Chet repeated, bringing the ill fire fighter out of his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

Marco felt the added weight on the ladder. He looked up and saw that Roy and Johnny now had the little girl. He looked back at Chet and nodded. "I'm okay," he finally answered. Seeing the unconvinced look the other man was giving him, he continued. "Really, Chet, I'm fine."

Chet saw that Roy and Johnny were nearly down with the little girl and decided to let it go, but only for the time being. He still had every intention of getting to the bottom of Marco's problem once they returned to the station.


	3. 3

_Author's Note: Since today was an extremely crazy day at work I have decided to treat everyone who is reading this story with not just this chapter, but the next/final chapter as well. All of you have been such awesome readers and have helped me in so many ways with this particular story and I do mean both versions, so as far as I'm concerned, you all deserve to have the wait on what's wrong with Marco be over!_**  
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**It Can Happen to Anyone**

**3**

Roy and Johnny reached the ground with the little girl. Looking her over, the senior paramedic was relieved to see that despite a dirty face, little Amelia seemed to be just fine, especially having gotten what she originally went back for - her brown teddy-bear, Carmen, for which she was clutching tightly.

"You ready to go see your mommy?" Roy asked as he started toward the trucks and pleased to see a smile and nod from the little girl in answer to his question.

"Amelia!" The mother yelled in relief as she met Roy half way. Grabbing her daughter, she looked at the paramedic. "Thank you so much!" she cried as she hugged the little girl. "Is…Is she alright?"

"We'll look her over just to be on the safe side, but I think she's okay," Roy answered reassuringly.

Nodding, the thankful mother turned and began heading toward the trucks, followed by Johnny.

Roy looked back at Marco and Chet also heading back to the engine with the ladder. Getting ready to turn and follow his partner to the squad, the paramedic stopped in his tracks when he heard Chet call out Marco's name. Turning around, he saw the reason - Marco was doubled over on the ground, clutching his stomach and wincing in pain.

Running over, Roy knelt down beside his downed crewmate and looked up at Chet. "What happened?"

"I don't really know, Roy," Chet answered worriedly. "I noticed on the way here that he was holding his stomach. Then when you and John went up after the kid, I noticed he was looking worse than before. When I asked him about it, he said he was fine. Then just now, we were taking the ladder back the engine and he just doubled over."

By this time, Roy was joined by Captain Stanley and Johnny, both wearing the same concerned expressions as Roy.

"Marco," Roy said softly, seeing that his friend was in a lot of pain. "Marco, what is it? What's wrong?"

Taking a few deep breaths, Marco swallowed. "My stomach, Roy. It's been hurting since this afternoon, but nothing like this."

"Where exactly does it hurt, Marco?" Johnny asked. When Marco motioned toward his lower stomach, he gently pressed down, grimacing at the low cry that Marco let out as a result. "It's tender," he informed his partner. "It's either food poisoning of some kind or appendicitis."

"It can't be food poisoning," Chet chimed in. "Otherwise we'd all be sick."

"Not necessarily," Roy replied. "Depending on the cause and the amount he ate, some food poisoning can take days to reach the point where Marco's at now. If it's food poisoning, it could have been brought on by something he ate when he was off duty."

"Or something he had at the station that the rest of us didn't," Johnny added. When Roy and Chet gave him a questioning look, he continued. "He said that it started this afternoon. Well this afternoon at lunch when the rest of us had Chet's stew, Marco had a sandwich instead."

Marco, listening to the two paramedics, shook his head. "It wasn't from lunch," he said weakly. "It was only a simple ham and cheese sandwich and it tasted fine."

"Marco," Roy began. "Try to think back at least a day or so. Did you have anything that you don't usually have?"

Thinking back to his last day off, Marco shook his head. "Nothing, Roy," he finally answered.

"And you're sure that it was just this afternoon that you started to fill ill?"

"That's right," Marco replied. "I wasn't too hungry at lunch, so I had the sandwich. An hour later I started to have this dull stomachache, shortly after that I threw up in the washroom. It wasn't as bad then so I thought I could hold out."

"Let's get the biophone and contact Rampart," Roy told Johnny, who nodded in return and rushed toward the squad to get their equipment.

"Marco, have you by any chance had a temperature going on today?" Roy asked.

Marco gave a slight nod. "99.5," he answered. "Why?"

"I'm not a doctor, Marco, but I think it's a safe bet you have appendicitis."


	4. 4

**It Can Happen to Anyone**

**4**

Despite Marco's sudden and unexpected collapse, the fire fighters still managed to put out the fire, though unable to save the house.

Roy approached Captain Stanley just as the captain was finishing up talking to Chet about the clean up. "Cap," he began. "Marco's ready to transport. I'm going to ride with him and Johnny's going to follow in the squad."

"What about the little girl?" Cap asked. "Are you taking her in too to get checked out?"

"I recommended it," Roy answered. "But the mother said that she'll take her to their family physician in the morning."

Cap nodded in understanding and looked over Roy's shoulder toward the ambulance that Marco had been loaded into. He looked back at Roy and asked, "How's Marco doing?"

"He's still in a lot of pain. Doctor Brackett agrees that it sounds like appendicitis. In fact he agrees it's appendicitis so much that they're going to have the OR set up by the time we get there."

"They'll have to operate right away, I take it?"

Roy nodded in agreement. "That's right. If they don't, his appendix could burst and that can be fatal."

_EMERGENCY! _

Once at Rampart, Marco was rushed into treatment room two where Brackett confirmed that he did have appendicitis.

"He's being taken into the OR now," Dixie informed Roy and Johnny. "From what Kel tells me, Marco's appendix is pretty inflamed."

"And to think, it was only this afternoon that the pain started," Johnny observed, shaking his head at how fast his friend and crewmate's condition had worsened.

"It's a good thing he was working when it happened," Roy added. "Knowing Marco, if he had gotten sick while at home, he probably wouldn't have sought medical treatment right away."

"Why do you say that?" Dixie asked curiously, not really knowing Marco Lopez too well to understand the senior paramedic's statement.

"Marco's the kind of guy who tries not to let being sick get in the way of doing things," Roy explained. "He had the flu one time and because he could still walk around, he decided to come into work."

"That is until Cap sent him home and told him not to come back in until he was well," Johnny chimed in.

Dixie nodded, fully understanding now Roy's earlier statement. "Well you know what they say; Doctors, Paramedics, Fire Fighters and Police Officers are the worse kind of patients."

_EMERGENCY!_

"Roy, John," Captain Stanley greeted his two paramedics as he, Chet and Mike entered the break room at Rampart. "How's Marco?"

"He's still in surgery," Roy informed.

"So then it was appendicitis," Chet assumed at Roy's statement.

Roy nodded in agreement. "That's right. His appendix was really inflamed, so they had to operate almost immediately after he got here before it burst."

Cap sat down at the table and shook his head. He still couldn't believe that he had missed the fact that Marco was hiding the amount of pain that he had been in. "You know right before we went out on this call, I found Marco in the washroom. When I asked him if he was alright, he told me that he simply couldn't sleep." He shook his head again and released a sigh of frustration. "I should have known better."

"Hey Cap," Johnny started. "It wasn't your fault. You know how Marco is when it comes to being sick - we all do."

"That's right, Cap," Mike agreed. "Marco's good at hiding that kind of stuff and not realizing he's sick can happen to anyone - just like it did with you tonight in the washroom. I probably wouldn't have caught onto it either had it been me in there with him."

"And that goes for all of us," Chet echoed. "Like Stoker said, Cap, it can happen to anyone."

Cap finally nodded in agreement. "Well I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again. When I see Marco, I'm going to order that in the future if he's feeling sick, even if it's just a cold, he tell someone." He shrugged his shoulders before continuing. "Maybe that's going a little too far, I don't know. But I do know that this time him not telling one of us that he was sick could have cost him his life. The fact that he collapsed while at a fire also put his life in danger. As a captain, I can't let that happen again."

Just then the door opened, revealing Doctor Brackett still wearing his scrubs. "Gentlemen," he greeted as he approached the table.

"How is he?" Cap asked.

"He's going to be fine," Brackett announced. "He'll be out of work for a while, but within about three or four weeks, if all goes well, he should be able to return to duty."

"How long is he going to be in the hospital?" Roy asked.

"We'll depending on how well he starts to recover; my guess right now would be about a week."

"When will he be able to have visitors?" Cap asked, knowing that the best time to talk to Marco would be while he was still in the hospital.

"Late tomorrow should be alright as long as it's not too many at a time," Brackett answered. "Right now though, he still needs a lot of rest since he did just have major surgery."

Captain Stanley nodded in understanding. He agreed with Mike Stoker when he said that not realizing Marco was hiding the pain could happen to anyone, but he also agreed that this time nearly cost Marco his safety and his life - something he was going to discuss with the man within a few days after he had a chance to really rest up. For now, however, Cap was just thankful that everything turned out alright and that Marco would in fact make a full recovery.

_THE END _


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